1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning articles of manufacture. In particular, it relates to an apparatus for cleaning residual powder from the side and bottom external surfaces of a pressed powder pan after the pan has been filled and pressed, and prior to installing the pan in a cosmetic compact.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cosmetic powder make-up, such as, for example, blush, is often provided to consumers in a ‘pressed powder’ form. Pressed powder is loose powder that has been compacted under pressure into a cake-like block. Preferably, the cosmetic is formulated such that the resulting pressed powder cake releases cosmetic with relative ease when a user wipes a surface of the cake. A pressed powder cake formulated to release cosmetic readily may be relatively fragile and may crumble with relative ease if not properly supported. For this reason, pressed powder cosmetics are generally provided in a shallow metal or plastic pan (reference number 4 in FIGS. 5 and 6). The pan 4 defines the shape and size of the pressed powder cake 7 during manufacture, and maintains the integrity of the cake during assembly of the cake into a cosmetic compact package, e.g., a plastic clamshell case 15 dimensioned to receive the cosmetic filled pan. The pan further maintains the integrity of the cake during storage and transport, and ultimately during use by the consumer.
To manufacture a pressed powder cosmetic compact, loose powder is first filled into a metal pan. The loose powder is compressed under high pressure in the pan to form a cake 7. The finished cosmetic pressed pan is assembled into a cosmetic compact case 15, e.g., a plastic clamshell case. The cosmetic filled pan may be secured in the compact by adhering an exterior surface or surfaces of the pan to a surface or surfaces of the compact case.
A problem common to the production of pressed powder compacts stems from the accumulation of residual powder and/or other contaminants on the exterior side and/or bottom surfaces of the pan. Residual powder may be any cosmetic powder not properly pressed into cake form, including pigments, binders, solvents or other ingredients or components of the cosmetic. Other contaminants include, but are not limited to, process contaminants (e.g., oil, grease or solvents from the process machinery), dust, dirt or moisture from external sources. To ensure proper adhesion of the pan to the cosmetic case, the residual powder and other contaminants must be removed from the exterior surfaces of the pan prior to adhering the pan in a compact case. The cleaning of exterior surfaces of pressed powder pans has heretofore been accomplished by manual labor. It will be appreciated that manual labor for such a process can be costly, time consuming, inefficient and inconsistent. In cases where the residual powder is not properly removed from the exterior surfaces of the pan prior to adhesion to the compact case, an inferior product may result with a pressed powder pan that can prematurely separate from the compact case.
Accordingly, there is a need for a machine that can automate the cleaning of side and/or bottom exterior surfaces of pressed powder pans after the pans have been filled.